New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Friday held a productive meeting with Alice Guitton, France's Director-General of International Relations and Strategy (DGRIS). Both the leaders held extensive discussions on Indo-Pacific region and maritime security, defence partnership, and regional security cooperation.
After bolstering ties with the US and a successful 2+2 ministerial dialogue between the two countries, India is now eying to cementing ties with the European Union nations.
The foreign secretary is on a visit to European nations to review bilateral relations and discuss matters of mutual interest and share Indian perspectives with his counterparts and other key interlocutors.
An analyst opined that there is a change in the alignment of global relationships across the world.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Gautam Chikermane, Vice President of the Observer Research Foundation and an expert in international and Indian economic policy said, "The US is beginning to put pressure on Europe as we have noticed in the last few months. Banning Huawei from its 5g network is one such move. 13 countries in Europe have banned Huawei and more will follow. There is a change in Europe."
Asia, which includes India and ASEAN, is considered the major growth region of the world. To get to ASEAN, there is an entire geopolitical shift in Europe and the EU's strategy. For instance, Germany in the last month had said that the Indo-Pacific area is an area of interest for them and that Germany will be there. Gradually, this geography of India, Indo-Pacific, Indian Ocean region and the relationship that is growing out of 'Quad' is now shaping the new international relations, and the results will be witnessed over the next two years.
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"In this process, it is now incumbent upon India to seek out the deeper and lasting partnership of value not only in terms of trade but in terms of Democracy. What I am currently observing is the 'play of value relations'. Hence, the change in value is coming together and India is going to be an important partner because of its geography and democracy. This is how India-EU relation is going forward," Chikarmane explained.
Shringla's visit comes at a time when China-wariness is becoming a dominant theme in Europe. All three countries that Shringla is on a visit including France, Germany and the UK have decided not to allow Chinese companies to supply 5g equipment. In fact, the visit closely follows the third 2+2 India-US dialogue that saw India move closer in military information sharing.
On Thursday, the Foreign Secretary arrived in France to further enhance the bilateral cooperation between the two nations.
"Deepening engagements with a key strategic partner in challenging times. Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla arrives in Paris for a 2-day visit. Interaction with top French officials, think-tanks and media personalities," the Indian embassy in France said in a tweet.
Shringla is on a 7-day trip to European nations, including France, Germany and the UK. His visit will conclude on November 4.
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Shringla also met Emmanuel Bonne, Diplomatic Advisor to President Emmanuel Macron and extended the Indian government's condolences on the terrorist attacks. He also conveyed the Prime Minister's message that India stands with France in the fight against terrorism.
Speaking at the Institute Francais des Relations Internationales, Paris, Shringla said, "India has dealt with the worst crisis on the border with China in decades with 'firmness and maturity' even as it has worked with partners to create an open and inclusive architecture for the Indo-Pacific region".
Moreover, speaking on the theme "India's foreign policy in the post-Covid world" Shringla reiterated India's actions as it prepares for the world order emerging amid the pandemic, was not "seeking to target or exclude any country" but to create an environment in which all countries can operate with respect for the sovereignty of others.
He reiterated India's condemnation of the recent terror attacks in France, including the one in Nice, and conveyed the solidarity of the Indian people in confronting terrorism and extremism. He also noted that one of the two recent terrorist incidents in France had its origins in Pakistan.
New Delhi has a cooperative and inclusive outlook, as laid out in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's SAGAR vision or 'Security and Growth of all in the region', and India has steadily enhanced its diplomatic and security engagement in Southeast Asia too.
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Noting that the pandemic has led to "geopolitical repositioning primarily by China and the US", Shringla outlined what he said were four key outcomes of the accelerated global transition and increased geopolitical competition and tension triggered by the Covid-19 crisis.
These developments, he said, will shape the nature and terms of India's engagement with major economies such as the US, China, the European Union, Japan and ASEAN. There is a need for greater global conversations on resilient supply chains, he added.
It is worth noting that India has very substantial trade and commercial ties and large investment flows with European countries. India also works closely with these countries in multilateral and plurilateral platforms on various issues.
Experts say that France has started taking an interest in the wide Indian and Pacific Ocean in addition to its traditional preoccupation with maritime events in its protectorates. Germany too is taking a deeper interest in the developing confrontation in the Indo-Pacific while the UK has been a traditional US ally for influence and intelligence operations.
Ministry of External Affairs in a statement had said India's relations with France, Germany and UK are built on a foundation of shared democratic values and are informed by a commonality of interest in issues such as sustainable development and climate change.
